Varanasi, 7th April, 2007

For the first time in the history, a westerner receives an award at Sanskrit Faculty, Benares Hindu University. Bhakta Demian was a Christian monk when he joined ISKCON in Brazil and after studying philosophy, classical literature and linguistics at university, he set for India to study Sanskrit. He was the first westener ever admitted at Sanskrit Faculty, B.H.U., where the traditional way of learning is still prevalent and the medium of instruction is spoken Sanskrit. Having obtained his bachelor degree with honours in 2004, he pursued an MA program in vaisnava philosophy, while working as an assistant teacher of philosophy, grammar and conversational skills for the undergraduate students. In recognition to his academic merit, the University awarded him a gold medal during the post-graduation ceremony, in which the chief guests were the Vice-president of India, Sri B.S.Shekhawat and the Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Sri T.V.Rajeswar. Bh. Demian is a part time teacher of Sanskrit and Hindi at VIHE and among his projects is a complete translation of Srila Prabhupada’s purports on Bhagavad-gita As It Is from English into Sanskrit, that is about to be published by BBT.